Thomas B, opening with an attack on me will get you nowhere! Actually dumbfuk, the JSF has had many prototypes built, but they are unsuccessful. This is the reason why Canada was asked to help develop it. The Eurofighter is a multi-format fighter. It can turn at the drop of a dime. It literally defys most physics in modern avionics. The Tornado is an awesome plane too. Very similar to the CF-18. You don't usually have an airforce with just 1 type of plane (although Canada made this mistake).
I would like to know why we are funding the development of the plane. Does Lockheed Martin need charity? If our funding towards devolopment came out of our purchase price, then it makes sense, a kind of layaway payment, but if we're not even going to purchase the planes, then why are the stockholders of Lockheed Martin, an american company, being given my tax dollars?
It is refreshing to see that our Government is willing to spend money on updated equipment for the Military. If the Liberals were still in power this would never have happened. The Military is finally being receiving the attention it deserves. The Liberals allowed the Military to waste away for 12 long years, and now the Conservatives are doing what should have been done long ago.
The JSF concept is a good one from an Engineering point of view. That is you build one very good airframe that meets a general but very robust list of specs. Then you allow the customer to choose the options and configuration that best meets their needs. Its that basic airframe that we invested in. Now we can purchase the avionics and weapons we need rather than buying what the manufacturer dictates.
"the Eurofighter is a much better plane", pjparkinson. Are you a complete fool or just haven't a clue what you are talking about? The JSF isn't even built yet. The Eurofighter is such a failure that the Brits and Germans have chossen to extend the life of their Tornados instead of exercising their extended purchase options on the Eurofighter. In the last Tiger Meet we our killed them by a factor of 2 to 1 with the CF18. So much for your statement. The Grippen should have won over the eurotrash.
Actually our commitment to Afghanistan is a NATO involvement, not the UN. Article 5! http://www.nato.int/docu/basictxt/treaty.htm ____ This is why Bush attacked his own country. NATO provided the armies under the treaty.
rod747 What many in this forum does not realize, many of these countries had their way of governing, whether we believe it was right or wrong. Now take some foreigner send them there & say your was is all wrong you must become a "DEMOCRATIC" country? there goes the big bang, the fighting begins, in many of the African nations you refer to the problem is not just internal but the outsiders who because of GREED help to facilitate the slavery of a people & give the guns to kill their own.
just wanted to state that our involvement in afghanistan is a un commitment, i spent three tours of duty in afghanistan and its sad to hear that rod747 wants to know why were not helping out in africa and etc. well my friend there is only so much you can do with the resources you have. I can say this, you go into a country and try to clear up the mess and after you leave some piece of crap destroys everything that was just built for there own personal gain. Greed is mans weakest source.
